


Don't Make Me Wait (With my Heart on my Sleeve)

by cledritch



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bad Boy Jeno, Barista Jaemin, Flirting, Jaemin in denial, M/M, Model Student Chenle, Motorcycles, Punk Renjun, Smitten Jeno, background Renle, some curse words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-31 03:45:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10891011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cledritch/pseuds/cledritch
Summary: Jaemin doesn't trust Jeno and it's not because he has the reputation of a bad boy.





	Don't Make Me Wait (With my Heart on my Sleeve)

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from Zara Larsson's Bad Boys.

From the minute that Lee Jeno entered the coffee shop Jaemin worked for, he could already tell he was going to be the biggest asshole.

It's not because he was wearing a leather jacket at this summer heat probably sweating more than a kid in gym class being asked to do fifty laps. Jaemin knows Jeno is part of the basketball team and probably could do that while he was asleep, not that it was important. It also wasn't because he was intent in tracking muddy footprints that Jaemin realizes he would need to mop off later with those heavy black boots that really don't suit him at all. Jaemin also doesn't fit the fact that Jeno is going to be a thorn on his side because he is chewing on a toothpick he has jutting out those nice pink lips and taming that one cowlick that strayed away from his slicked back hair.

He based that conclusion from the words that came out of his mouth, a rather pleasant voice paired with the way his eyes mirror his smile curved all the way that he wanted to punch him.

"I'd like your favorite drink, please." he leaned on the counter, as if he thinks he can intrude so much into Jaemin's space that he could make him mess his order and fakes a smile, something he has mastered being friends with Donghyuck.

"I don't think you'll like my favorite," he pointedly stares at his get-up "Too sweet for people in leather jackets and boots, ya know. An Americano then?"

Jeno's smile doesn't falter, grin growing that Jaemin sees how those teeth shone like he's in some toothpaste commercial: surreal and very, very blinding. "I like sweet things. The cover doesn't have to match the contents." His eyes are locked on Jaemin's face, straying down and down until it slowly climbs back to meet Jaemin's eyes.

Jaemin doesn't fall for his trick. He knows enough of Lee Jeno to go around tripping over his words, know enough that it nags him every single day of his life and haunts him when he keeps his guard down that he needs steel-imbued defenses to get thoughts of Lee Jeno out his head. Jaemin doesn't know Jeno's name out of infamy and playground rumors, he knows his name because once upon a time, he had managed to learn his name from Jeno's own mouth and it wasn't a pleasant memory. A lot of elementary cursing, probably to save him the trauma and someone sprawled on the concrete with a bloody nose before he's left with a whimpering puppy in his arms.

Jaemin doesn't trust Jeno and it's not because he has the reputation of a bad boy.

"Well, then. Enjoy your diabetes in a cup."

//

A Grande Chocolate-Caramel Machiatto that is somehow infused with more sugar than is necessary with floating bits of what seems to be sprinkles and topped with a crisscross of strawberry and chocolate syrup.

Jeno doesn't know if he should be thankful he didn't get thrown hot coffee instead.

The moron who got him to stay here is sitting on the long tables for the loners who came to this coffee shop on their own, sitting in a chair that had a foot rest because it was too high and slowly pushing a cup of ramyun he didn't know was sold (or even allowed) inside to a smaller boy who is too engrossed in writing on the many crumpled yellow papers that seemed to have seen better days. His pink fluff of hair looks like it needed some combing, frustration on his face while Renjun looks like he's mastered the art of zen and self-peace with how calm he is while making sure the ramyun is right in sight but away from the boy's work.

Jeno takes another too sweet sip that makes him wish he didn't try to charm the barista too soon if it meant his sugar level making astounding jumps while he also wishes Renjun would just ask the boy out without all this trouble.

"He can't eat that if you keep wasting time trying to be some ninja. The noodles will get soggy." he pipes up, surprising both of them that the boy looks away from his formulas and land his eyes on the ramyun that still has Renjun's hand attached to it that he follows the arm until he is met with orange hair, a rather mature face and pierced ears with studs and dangling earrings.

Renjun chooses that moment to finally leave the ramyun there, the expression on the boy's face making him run with his tail tucked between his legs and grabbing Jeno by the edge of his collar that made some of his drink spill on his chest.

The idiot doesn't even stop to check until they are outside, Jeno staring at him in disbelief with a splotch on his shirt and the smell of caramel sticky against his skin.

"Are you serious, Renjun?" he mutters, hands in the air to emphasize the ridiculousness of it all "I give you a ride and you-"

There's a look of exasperation on Renjun's face, hand coming up to pull at his lobes like he always does when he's nervous and the way he keeps gnawing on his lower lip made him look so out of place in his dark clothes and ripped jeans. "Well, don't say I didn't try. He seemed busy and I can come off a creep."

Jeno rolls his eyes, walking over to where he parked his bike, a wonderful thing he had saved up for after weeks of mowing lawns and the savings he kept before he found the sleek, black motorcycle with a few scratches but looking in good condition in a garage sale. It's something he takes pride in maintaining, the handlebars brand new to replace the rusted ones they came with and he took the time to remove the unnecessary details like the flames that were on the combust and front. But does Renjun care how much he valued it to give him gas money for the trouble to get to this coffee shop two hours by commute if it weren't for him giving a lift?

Not a chance. Renjun can be selfish sometimes.

He straddles it, pushing the rest off the ground and putting his key in to turn the ignition on. Jeno takes his time to put his helmet on, throwing the other to Renjun before he flicks the visor on with a huff.

"Not my problem anymore. We gotta go before we miss gym again for attendance and I rather not stay outside the hall where I can't even play my games."

Renjun secures the helmet, sitting behind Jeno and holding onto his shoulders "Whatever. Don't think I didn't see you flirting with the barista."

Jeno doesn't reply. It was his own damn problem if he actually is familiar with those round eyes and trembling lips. But Renjun doesn't need to know that now when he's only on ramyun terms with a boy he doesn't even have a name for and he just wants to feel like this was all for his embarrassment.

//

Jaemin knows Jeno wasn't here for the coffee or even him if he let himself be flighty and think this was a happy romance flick that Yuta sometimes makes him watch where the guy comes on a certain place because his love interest is there. He isn't really sure how overpriced coffee despite how nicely brewed it was would matter to Jeno who seemed to be the type to prefer convenience store sludge that was motor oil than caffeine- especially how he takes so much care to that loud motorcycle of his. But Jaemin is nosy on anything that involves Lee Jeno.

He's trouble when he's near him, anyways. So he once again mops the mud tracks Jeno always carried with those unfortunate boots, he makes the stupid idea to mop right where Jeno is seated. He's drinking a cup of hot chocolate that Jaemin made sure to load with vanilla and cinnamon so his taste buds would never have the decency to taste anything again but he is unfazed, rolling his eyes every so often at a direction that Jaemin turns there.

A groan escapes his mouth too loud that Jeno sees him closer than he usually is and beams at him. Jaemin wishes he can run and hide from the suddenness of how he glows with it. "Eavesdropping?"

Jaemin sneers, flipping the mop handle to his other hand but fails that it hits him on the nose. Rubbing it as Jeno laughs, he clicks his tongue in annoyance "I can't believe you're here for Renjun. What's wrong? Scared your boyfriend is cheating on you?" he hopes he comes out sarcastic and triumphant and not the croaked out indifference he tries to mask when he refers to Huang Renjun as Jeno's boyfriend.

He's heard a lot, seen the clingy way that the two ride off into the sunset in the motorcycle that he is not getting why Jeno is signaling him to sit down next to him without even batting an eye. Jaemin doesn't get him at all that he complies, flushing when he realizes he probably looked like a dog and is about to protest when Jeno puts his finger on Jaemin's lips to shush him.

The heat from his face better not been obvious on Jeno's hand and he whips his head away before hissing lowly "Okay, what the hell."

"You know the boy next to him?"

Jaemin squints at him then over to where Renjun is almost touching shoulders with the boy with pink hair who is not really making it inconspicuous that he's looking over to where Renjun had placed a plate of cake near him. When the orange-haired punk (because no one is allowed that much silver on their ears and the ripped jeans that were more holes than fabric didn't help) turned away, the other quickly took the plate with a bashful smile. His gaze lowered to the skin peeking out and he shrugged off his letterman jacket to place right at the edge of the table it touched Renjun's thighs, both of them looking away when they noticed they were looking.

It was cute but in a way that Jaemin is horrified when he realizes who the other boy was, turning to Jeno with a disbelieving look. "Are you serious?" he mutters, voice a little high-pitched as he makes pointing gestures at the strange scene as if it was ruining his eyes "You're not trying to do that thing where you use this to get closer to me, right because you _really_ didn't know I knew Chenle, did you?"

"Now that you mention it, that can be a case," Jeno's eyes are twinkling that Jaemin really wants to squash whatever bugs are trying to wreck his stomach from it "But I just want to stop wasting gas money on Renjun's silly crush."

Ah, there it is and Jaemin feels safer. If he can make those two somehow by the miracle of whatever matchmaking god out there end up together meant he can never see Jeno here to bless him with his presence. It's a win-win whichever side he chooses and from the looks of Chenle who is setting his notebook aside to eat the cake (strawberry shortcake, something that they didn't sell here and pretty expensive based on how can guess Renjun wants to impress), it wouldn't take long before he was Lee Jeno out his life.

Jaemin does ignore how he's being looked at with an intensity that speaks a different story.

"When do we start?"

//

Jeno knows Na Jaemin.

They didn't need an introduction, no need for an exchange of names. Jeno is not the type to let sentiment come in the way of remembrance because he doesn't have that many to remember. Renjun's been his friend for months because they were the same, a little misguided maybe and much more aware of the things that the world would be better off spinning around. Renjun who likes his piercings and ripped jeans because it makes him feel free and happy without even thinking how it would look to other people because his parents don't look at him differently (praise him even because he doesn't pierce his ears for show, he pierces them for his achievements and carry them like war trophies) and Jeno whose motorcycle and leather jacket speak of a desire to remember his father who always believed that his son would be better being himself and making him proud nonetheless than rebel because they didn't let him ride a motorcycle with no promise he would be careful.

Jeno's father died when he was in his last year of elementary. Three days after the wake after his mother told him that he should take his father's words in mind, he had sucker-punched an older kid because he was kicking at a boy lying on the ground with his body curled in on himself. There was a rage that erupted in his head, not seeing red like he was taught by his teachers but a clarity that he rushed over to swing, create momentum by digging his heels and aiming for his nose. There's a satisfying crunch and the sensation of something wet on his knuckles before the boy fell to the concrete shrieking.

He doesn't remember what he said but he recalled giving his name when the boy asked, eyes furrowed and holding on to the puppy that was wrapped inside his shirt that kept whimpering.

The boy with the round eyes that grow wider, lips trembling from the shock stands up but he never says his own name back in return. Just runs away because the fallen attacker would get back to his feet and retaliate so he flees as well but the memory remains in his mind, as fresh as the bruises he got on his hands from trying to punch someone bigger than him.

Jeno only gets his name when they meet again, this time he's with his leather jacket and offering him a ride home because he is haunted by those eyes that he can never forget them but someone calls for him, shrieking "Na Jaemin!" at the top of their lungs that Jaemin leaves without looking back.

That was a month ago and Jeno still can't erase him from his mind that his acceptance for his plan is making his heart swell with joy and the smile to nearly split his face in half. Even if he knew that Renjun is close to actually opening his mouth and asking Chenle out for some kind of outing to free him from studying, he always wanted to see how far he can snap Jaemin until he can finally see it again. 

The same frightened boy who he saved so long ago. The boy whose defenses are down that he can come inside his heart and ask to stay.

//

"Just we're clear, I don't like you."

"Really? I didn't notice," Jeno gives him a small shrug, casual and mocking that it makes him stop right at the door frame while the other is keeping the door open "It's a joke, Nana."

There's a flare of irritation that comes out of nowhere, followed by his face scrunching up in distaste "And don't call me that." Jaemin taps his foot impatiently on the floor, lips twisting in grimace as he waits for an apology he knows isn't coming. He hopes for one but Jeno is unaffected with his bad mood, feigning contemplation before chuckling. It isn't pleasant to hear and Jaemin's face just scrunches more.

"Alright, darling, I won't call you that and just use any other pet names you detest," the idiot even winks at him, bopping his nose and still waiting for Jaemin to cross the threshold with the patience of a saint.

There was really no reason for them to act so friendly now. Jaemin had predicted that if Renjun was going to be a wuss about asking Chenle, the latter would probably take matters into his own hands and do it to save them both the waiting game of misery.

"I swear to god if Chenle's not going to be the go-getter like he is for his grades for this, I'm never letting him back in here."

To which Jeno unhelpfully replied with "Then the only reason I can come here is to see you, isn't it?" to which Jaemin dumped the mop at him to clean up his own tracks otherwise he'd have to walk around barefoot or wearing the indoor hello kitty slippers he got just for him. It shut him up until he stated again he wanted Jaemin to wear them.

"Cute slippers for a cute boy." he smiled widely and Jaemin was this close to throwing said slippers at his handsome face before he called it a day.

But the next few days, Jaemin spotted the two now sitting in a booth where it would be out of his sight that his eavesdropping must have been discovered already so he makes sure to alert Jeno to sit right behind them and ignoring the plethora of emoticons that came with the okay he gets back. Jeno is not cute, he reminds himself and delivers a very questionable mixture of chamomile, milk and strawberry milk tea for Jeno to suffer through. Renjun is talking to Chenle now, even helping him with his studies from the sounds of him explaining how it really isn't essential when no one would ask them if the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell and the benefits of a Venn diagram.

Sounded like bullshit but Chenle does whack him on the arm and explain them which helped him memorize it easier that he'd end up thanking Renjun.

Jeno is smiling all the while. He's smiling at Jaemin who's huddled close to the cushioned wall that is used as a separator trying to listen more to the conversation, not bothering to hide his staring that Jaemin can feel the heat creep on his neck from how much attention he’s getting from someone who probably doesn't need to pay that much attention on him.

Chenle asks Renjun to the arcade after three days of flirting masked as academic tutoring and it's so adorable to see Chenle drag Renjun who looked shy for the first time since Jaemin saw him enter the shop with a purpose in his steps that it's hilarious. They didn't really need to drag it longer, this game of cat and mouse, because it was obvious they wanted to spend time with each other and Jaemin is glad that there will be no more Lee Jeno to hog his attention to ensure he doesn't cause trouble. As if.

Jaemin steps out but only because if the door was left open, the air-conditioning would be affected in a way that the owner would be angry at him for 'letting the air go out' and as much as wants to be fired now to escape Jeno, he needs extra cash. They walk together, side by side in the cold air of the evening until they reach the space where Jeno's motorcycle is parked.

"Your shift is over. I'm offering you a ride."

"Renjun rides with you and I don't want to be on that death trap," he remarks with a deadpan face, a little miffed why he has to bring the past times Renjun riding with Jeno that still somehow affect him that he doesn't look at Jeno at all out of sheer embarrassment.

It doesn't go unnoticed like he hoped. "Aw, is Nana jealous? You set Renjun and Chenle together because you wanted to be the one riding with me?" Jeno teases, voice grating Jaemin's nerves that he glares at him and grits his teeth. He doesn't get why Jeno keeps doing this to him because he doesn't know how to retaliate when his mind isn't in tune with his heart that's doing a samba with how fast it's pumping.

"As if. Who do you think I am?" he hisses, quieting down when Jeno moves into his space that Jaemin also steps back in surprise. He's never been this close to him mostly out of self-preservation and sucks a breath through his nose, squaring his shoulders and keeping his chin up ready for a fight. Jeno doesn't have that much of a height difference against him but he still feels like he's being towered as Jeno leans closer, too close for comfort.

Jaemin can see how his eyes aren't that black but in this light he can see flecks of brown that blend against his irises and the little bumps on his skin that he didn't see before, goose bumps rising on his arms when he feels warm breath hitting his lips at how close he was getting. The intensity is too much, gritting his teeth more and shutting his eyes tightly to try and escape this ugly rampant feeling of his heart losing itself to the panic and anticipation.

But he doesn't get what he thought he was getting.

Instead, there's a weight over his head and his eyes fly open to see that Jeno has his back at him and there's a helmet on his head that he instinctively fumbles on clipping the strap under his chin to secure it.

"Come on, Nana! It's getting late!" Jeno tells him, all smiles but there's something else in his eyes. Something soft and vulnerable that Jaemin doesn't say a word as he sits behind Jeno, the warmth of his back his comfort as he leans his head on it but keeps his hands behind to hold to the metal at the end, Anything but around Jeno, he tells himself.

Otherwise he might not ever let go.

//

Jeno's playing with fire.

He knows this well. He's been out of it since the other day, when he was so close to knowing if Jaemin was as sweet as the drinks he forced on Jeno since he first walked into the coffeeshop. Renjun keeps texting Chenle during breaks, making coffee and lunch dates at the same place and he doesn't even need to ask Jeno who merely reaches for his keys that Renjun starts to ask.

"You and Jaemin, huh." Not a question but a teasing statement. He knows Renjun heard it from Chenle about how they eavesdrop and probably pressured the younger boy to ask him to the arcade to get away from them ruining the moment. The model student he was, Chenle always knew about his surroundings which really helped a lot with how Renjun has been obvious since day one. But Chenle was also not as innocent as those baby cheeks of his implied and Jeno doesn't really want to be the receiving end of his competitiveness to anything, even Renjun sometimes when they think he doesn't notice. Especially when Jeno has Renjun with his arms around his waist when they arrive on his bike, right there through the glass window did Jeno see the displeasure clear as day on Chenle's face before it disappears when he shakes his head and writes down on his notebook.

 He shrugs in response, not really in the mood to defend what's out in the open and Renjun can smell his lie anyways because he can't really fool him even if he tried. "Hey, we made your crush become more, didn't we?"

"By pressuring? Maybe. Chenle tends to tell me that you two looked cozy even if all you do is look at Jaemin looking at us."

"When did that happen?" Jeno scoffs.

"You wouldn't realize," Renjun smirks, casually shrugging as he puts on the helmet Jeno gives him with a glare "We speak in Mandarin."

"That's good to know you're talking about us when we're in front of you." Jeno revved up the engine, twisting the handlebars tightly out of irritation.

Renjun hops on and doesn't say another word until Jeno rounds the corner, the smell of exhaust smoke at their tails and the coffee shop comes in view. Except Jeno stops right in front of the large windows, halting too fast that Renjun lurches and hits his helmet on Jeno's that he almost fell off to the curb.

"What the hell, Jeno-" He doesn't even get to finish as Jeno is ripping off his helmet and throwing it at him that he fumbles to catch it in his arms before stalking over to the door like a madman. Renjun gets off the bike, taking the keys and placing the helmets to follow him but he catches the light on the windows and there he sees it.

On the other side of the window is Jaemin, soaked with coffee with tears spilling out his eyes and bowing down as a young man is yelling at him. But Jaemin seemed angry too and with Jeno who's walking right over with his face mirroring the storm that's brewing and it's not going to be pretty.

//

Jaemin hated coincidences. It's close to fate with how it's very unpredictable, very insignificant when it's not thought about the few times it happens until it stops becoming coincidence and more planned scenarios that he doesn't trust it one bit.

If Lee Jeno strolling back into his life stopped being a coincidence the times he'd just come with no Renjun or no motive than to see him and maybe give him a ride home if Jaemin was generous enough to let him eye-smile him to agreement then Jaemin doesn't really know what to do when he sees a familiar face that he didn't think he'd see after the news he got sent to juvie.

The older boy-no, he's a man now with how much he grew since then whose name had slipped his mind but the cold look on his face suggested he knows exactly who Jaemin is.

"This isn't what I ordered." he spats out, teeth gritting down like he wants nothing more than to rip Jaemin's face off. His temper is still erupting like it had been and Jaemin doesn't let his hostility scare him as he walked over with a smile.

"Sure it is, _sir._ " he barely suppresses the hiss, palms clammy because violence in such a space here could prove to be his ticket to being fired and Jaemin just wanted to have a peaceful days once in a while without Jeno with him to-

"It's too bland. And where is the coffee in this anyway when all I can taste is milk?"

Perhaps it's in Jaemin's system, the bitterness of this situation and he really just wants to leave while he's only at that point of fear that he can suppress trembling. The bruises he got in the past wasn't easy to heal and he broke his hipbone that he had to take a break from dancing for a while, those memories fresh in his mind at how he cried like a wuss every night when the cold weather would ignite so much pain in his bones. He hates remembering, he hates how in those times he would be thanking Lee Jeno who he barely knew for saving him more damage than what could have been done.

His eyes were starting to prickle, face starting to heat up from the anger threatening to bubble out of him. It gets mistaken for fear, his furrowed brows and his teeth splitting his lower lip open he can taste iron and the man clicks his tongue "Don't you even can do anything right, brat? Like mind your business to spare you from breaking more bones that you can't walk?"

Jaemin almost chokes on the breath he held, his hands curled into fists and digs his nails into his palm. Breathe in and out because he won't cry for this bastard who finds kicks on hurting animals and children. But his vision is already blurry and his head is fuzzy from anger, fear and the overwhelming feeling of wanting someone to come here and give him a piece of his mind.

"I don't think that matters, you prick." he hisses and then before he knows it, there's coffee being dumped over his head lukewarm enough that he can only flinch from the shock. The laughter is nothing but white noise that filters into his ear, eyes glued to the floor because he doesn't know what else to do as it's too late and his tears are falling down to mix with the trickles of murky brown sludge that slips into his mouth. It's bitter and salty and he wants to do something to get out of here. Is he the one sobbing? Is he the one whose knees are trembling that he just wants to collapse on them even if it would look so weak of him? He shields his hips because he won't let that injury repeat itself.

"Nana."

Jeno's voice is the switch that brings him back, blinking through tear-filled eyes and he sniffs, looking down at the man now groaning on the floor covering his face to see that both his nose and his mouth are bleeding. Jeno is looking at him with worry, so much in one look that he doesn't even push the hand that rubs away the liquid streaking his cheeks and graciously accepts Jeno's leather jacket when it is draped on his shoulders.

The coffeeshop manager kicks the man out and advices Jeno to do the same, albeit he wants him to take care of Jaemin in the meantime. Jeno doesn't even need to be told as he keeps a hand on Jaemin's lower back to guide him out. Jaemin is still shaking from the shock but now there's warmth in his chest that doesn't go away He wants it to especially with how Jeno's worried stare is doing things to him.

Chenle joins them outside, rushing his words in a slew of "Hey, are you alright? Did you get hurt or anything?" He is panicking more than Jaemin himself and he's not sure if he wants to laugh or cry before settling to be comforted by Jeno's scent from his jacket amidst the coffee smell. Renjun walks over to them with the same expression but he doesn't say anything, more than assured with Jeno next to Jaemin. He opts to rub Chenle's shoulders to calm him instead.

"I'll drive him home. Think you can handle on your own?" Jeno says to Renjun, looking over Jaemin and his jaw is clenched hard that he might just break his teeth. There's a nod probably because he can hear the jangling of keys being thrown and Jeno catches them with ease as he moves away from Jaemin to get his motorcycle.

While he does, Renjun moves closer to him. Jaemin pointedly looks at the scruffs of his shoes that are stained brown that he detests the idea of washing them again. He doesn't hear the call of his name until there are fingers snapped in front of his face that flinches upwards to meet Renjun's gaze. "Jeno's really worried for you," there must have been so much displeasure on Jaemin's face that he continued "He cares a lot, you know, if you bothered seeing past that guard you keep around him."

Jaemin narrows his eyes at him, unsure how to take this and Chenle clears his throat to add "You're an open book with a tight casing. You can lie about what you're thinking but still give it away."

He flushes red at it, whipping his head when Jeno places his hand on his arm and almost slaps it away. The other boy raises a brow at him, pursing his lips in confusion that Jaemin gapes at him. Renjun and Chenle hide their laughter with their palms and Jaemin wants to slap them.

"Let's go or you'll get sick."

He doesn't even look at Jeno's face as he puts his helmet on without a word, straddling behind Jeno on his motorcycle and only now is he conscious of how his legs brush Jeno's from time to time. There is no warning like Jeno usually does when Jaemin is still adjusting to the seat that he lurches and wraps his arms tight around the thing closest to him. Jaemin can hear the vibrations of Jeno's chuckle because his face is obscured by his helmet and Jaemin buried his face on the crook of Jeno's neck.

They slow down along the way but everytime Jaemin loosens his hold, Jeno accelerates faster that he yelps and tightens his grip instead that he's almost molded on his back. He knows he did it on purpose but he can't bring himself to be angry because the warmth is overwhelming him that his cheeks are aflame. Perhaps Jeno can feel it too.

//

His apartment complex is not that big, just three floors with five rooms per floor and is tucked between a sprawling company building and a restaurant that often made it hard to see at times.

Jaemin is still hiding on Jeno's neck, his breath fanning over his skin and there is a strange warmth on his cheeks where it's pressed on Jeno's skin. He hopes that he isn't shaken anymore from what happened and the cool air should have cleared his head by now. He shuts down the engine as he parks right in front, placing the stand down and he pulls his helmet off. He takes a deep breath before he places his hand over Jaemin's clasped ones around his waist that startles the boy out of stumbling off.

"Thanks," Jaemin says, high-pitched that he brushes it off with nervous laughter "It was appreciated."

He starts to walk towards the door in a hurried pace that Jeno let out a laugh before he leisurely got off his bike and stalking over to Jaemin, pulling his elbow to make him stop. "Nana-"

"I'm serious though. It was good you got there. Like some superhero, you do that to a lot of people, yeah." Jaemin doesn't even look like he's talking to Jeno with how he's still having a staring contest with the ground, embarrassed about something that Jeno has an idea. But he didn't want to push him for it.

Jeno did however guffawed at what he said, choking on air as peals of laughter echoed whenever he thought about it too long and he can't hold it in. There's a tear on the corner of his eye that he wipes away and smiles at Jaemin "I'd do everything to protect you. Especially from people who already had a past offense."

Jaemin stiffens at that, head lifting but his gaze is still far away that Jeno wants nothing more than tilt his head to face him. "I see."

He doesn't because he's still fighting it. Jeno sighs and gives in, fingers trailing on Jaemin's jaw before he applies pressure. It's a miracle that the latter complies, facing him but his eyes focused on his neck now with the cutest stain of pink that adorns his cheeks as he bites his lower lip.

"You're cute, Nana." Jeno whispers, leaning close and he can see the way that Jaemin's breathing hitches as he instinctively closes his eyes. Jeno is so close that he sees those pretty eyelashes fanned over his cheeks and the dip of his lip's cupid's bow.

He wants to kiss him and diffuse all the tension built over the dats but he doesn't. Not because he thinks Jaemin isn't ready, not because he isn't either. The ball is in Jaemin's court now that Jeno is just going to push him to make the move.

"Take care." he says, tugging the helmet off Jaemin's head and immediately turns around with a hum.

Jeno doesn't even have time to get halfway to his motorcycle because Jaemin grabs his arm, spinning him around that he lets go of the helmet. The sound of its clatter is lost to his heart beating rapidly as the boy grabs his face to pull him into a kiss, soft and warm and he doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around him.

They part when it they lose their breath, panting from the rush of the kiss and Jaemin's face is so red that he might as well be letting off steam that Jeno pecks his nose with a giggle.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

Jaemin purses his lips, irritated but he doesn't deny it. He just slaps his hand on Jeno's chest with a shake of his head, smile so big he could have light up the night. "You asshole."


End file.
